Post construction



May 8, 1928.

' S. SMILEY, JR

POST CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 28. 1928 Patented May 8,1928

1,669,382 PATENT OFFICE.

smear. sunny, an, or cmcnma'rr, onro, assren'oa To run eLonn-wnnmcn coxrm, or cmcmiu'rr, OHIO, A conrona'rron or 01110.

POST CONSTRUCTION.

Application fled February 28, 1928. Serial No. 257,755.

This invention relates to post oi upright construction, and is particularly d1rected to a fabricated post formed of sheet material and standardized 'for use in any possible wall combination. 7 It is an object of this a standardized upright or post for use in partitions, which post is suitably formed and apertured to attach and ]0m walls to any side thereof, with no change in post structure necessary.

Anotherobject relates to the fabricat on of the post to produce a structure 1n which all sides are identical, each embodying a jamb depression, corner moldings, and cover plates adapted to be secured over respective .jamb depressions when no juncture is made thereto with a partition wall frame for concealing post assembly screw heads and unused wall attaching apertures.

Another object is to prov de a hollow, metal fabricated post, reinforced by spacer channels apertured for the receptlon of electric wires or tie bolts throughout the mterior length of the post.

Another object is to provide a fabr cated post in which the sheet plate elements making up the post are so formed, attached and disposed as to produce a post greatly reduced incross sectional dimension, and of great relative strength.

Another object is to provide a post con struction, reinforced 1) interior spacer plates at regular interva s, the post capable of reduction to any length, from standardized commercial lengths without change other than the cutting of the post to the desired length.

Another object is to. provide a means for securing wall sections within the 121mb .depressions of the post sides and to prov de that the post may be disassembled during erection to facilitate the attachment of the" walls thereto.

Further objects and advantages Wlll be more fully set forth in a description of the,

accompan ing drawings forming apart of this speci cation, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a post,.certain parts of the cover plate belng broken away to illustrate the jamb depression, and a portion of the post proper being broken away to show one of the spacer channels in detail, this view also showing the post w1th invention to provide a partition wall secured to a respective side thereof.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 Flgure 1, illustrating the post in cross sectlon and also showing the manner of securing the partition panel frames to the post and .two sides of tie post provided with cover plates.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a short len th of cover plate.

eferring to the drawings, the post is indicated generally at. 1. A pair of upri ht channel'iron lengths 2 are fastened toget er by a plurality o spacer channel iron pieces 1}. These spacer channels 3 are disposed at intervals throughout the length of the channel iron uprights, and are secured thereto by means of spot welding or any other suitable means. This arrangement of channel lengths and spacer channels makes up the Y body or foundation of the post.

In order to provide partition receiving depressions and corner moldings, providing reveals at the sides of the partition frames when secured within the depressions lendmg aesthetic value and strength to the post,

-a pair of post caps 4 are secured respectively at the opposing open sides of the post foundation or at the sides opposite from theface of the channels 1. The post caps are secured to the foundation or body of the post by means of screws 5 at intervals along the post length, corresponding to the spacing of the spacer channels, these screws being threaded into the vertical webs 6 'of the spacer channels.

The post caps are each formed with a jamb depression 7 and corner moldings 8. When the post, ca s are drawn against the sides of the post ody, the spaces between the adjacent edges of the post cap moldin s on the channel iron side of the post body are of the same width as the width of the depressions formed in the post caps. The inner walls 9 of the corner moldings, forming the depression are inclined inwardly, this making the depressions and the spaces in the channel iron sides wider at the base than at their throats or outer ends. A post built up in this manner provides identical appearance from any side.

The post'caps and channel iron sides of the post body are perforated in the same manner. A series 'of apertures 10"are disposed along the length of each side of the post, and as described before, alternate aperbody. The apertures between the post capt-ures on the post-cap sides of the post are used for securing the post capsto the post attaching apertures are used for'securing the wall structure to the .post as will be hereinafter described.

When the post is being used in any wall combination which leaves one side of the post exposed,-a cover plate 11 isused to conceal the unnecessary or unused apertures and the heads of the screws on that side of the post. The cover plate 11 is sprung into place on the post side by means of spring action inherent in ,the cover. Regarding a cover in detail as shown in Figure 3, the sheet material forming the cover is turned back upon itself as at 12 -and spaced slightly from the main or front wall of the cover and then flanged outwardly as at 13, at an angle corresponding to the inclination of the edges 9 of the post cap moldings. These inner corners of the molding which are engaged by these flanges, when a cover plate is being forced into position, are rounded sufliciently so that the extreme outer ends of the flanges engage the rounded edges for forcing the flanges inwardly allowing them to sprlng into position agamst the inclined inner edges of the jamb depressioh. It will be seen that these cover or panel plates greatly enhance the appearance of the post side when unattached to by a partition.

The spacer channels 3 are provided with a series of apertures 14, these apertures being aligned in the respective spacer channels lengthwise of the post. The central of these apertures may be used for atie bolt if desired, and the others may be used for the insertion of electric wires throughout the length of the post. It is also possible to bring out these wires at any point along the post length by drawing them out through any of the series of apertures 10 at the desired elevation. The use of the post caps beside giving the necessary shaping and formation of the post for partition attachment thereto, adds unusual strength to the design, particularly in view of the corner moldings. Furthermore, when a partition is in place (see Figure 2) the molding provides a reveal at each side of the partition wall.

The partition frames indicated at 16 are secured within the jamb depressions of the post by means of drawbolts 17, extending laterally from the post and being drawn u by nuts 18 on the inside of the post, the hea ends' 19 of the bolts being drawn against the outer wall of a'flange bracket 20,'spot welded to the inner walls of the panel frame 16. The panel frames are of the same width as the jamb depressions and thus fit snugly therein. The inner margins of the'frames are suitably formed to present a central recess 21 to receive the margin of the panel used. The heads of the bolts are non-rotatably secured by means of lugs 22, struck outwardly from the margins of the bolt holes in the brackets 20, these lugs engaging the .sides of the bolt heads In erection, the

' post caps may be removed to aid in placing 'to the respective web sides of the channeli ron uprights, each post cap having therein a longitudinal depression and providing corner moldings for the post with the moldings o posing on the channel iron face sides provi 1n depressions in combinationtherewith eac of said de ressions having a longitudinally ,arrange series of apertures termed therein as attaching mediums for securing wall sections within the depressions, and cover plates adapted to be secured over unused depressions.

- 2. A post construction, comprising, a rectangular upright, formed post caps secured to opposing sides of the upright, said post caps having longitudinally disposed depressions'formed centrally thereof and corner flanges overhanging the upright edges, proriding, in combination withithe sides over- ,besecured over the depressions.

'3. A post construction, comprising, a pair of uprights, said uprights secured together in spaced relation by a plurality of cross plates and a pairof post cap lengths covering the open post sides presented by the spaced relation of the uprights, said post caps having corner moldings formed thereon providing longitudinally centrally disposed depressions in the post caps, said moldings overhanging the respective adjacent corners of the uprights for providing longitudinal 'de ressions in combination with the outer aces of the-uplrights, said depressions corresponding to t ose formed in the post caps, any of said depressions adapted to receive wall section ends, and cover plates adapted to be secured over unused depressions. v

4. A post construction, comprising, a pair of uprights, said uprights secured together in spaced relation by a plurality of horizontal spacer elements, and a pair of post cap lengths coveringthe open post sides presented by the spaced relation of the uprights, said post caps having corner moldings formed thereon providing longitudinally centrally disposed depressions in the post caps,'said moldings overhanging the respective adjacent corners of the uprights for providing sionscorresponding to those formed in the post caps.

of the upright, ed with apertures depressions in combination with the outer faces of the uprights;,said depres-.

5. A post construction, comprising, a hollow upright of general rectangular configuration, a series of horizontal cross members disposed at intervals throughout the length said cross members providlongitudinally aligned throughout the post length, longitudinally disposed wall abutting depressions formed along the upright sides, each depression provided with a longitudinally arranged series of apertures for receiving wall attaching elements, and'cover plates adapted to be sprung into position over the depressions unused as wall abutments.

' In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

SAMUEL SMILEY, JR. 

